warrior

noun

war·​rior
ˈwȯr-yər,
ˈwȯr-ē-ər How to pronounce warrior (audio)
ˈwär-ē-,
 also  ˈwär-yər
often attributive
: a person engaged or experienced in warfare
broadly : a person engaged in some struggle or conflict
poverty warriors

Example Sentences

a proud and brave warrior a program of tough training and discipline that turns untried civilians into warriors
Recent Examples on the Web Check out this hilarious video of herself doing a perfect warrior 2 pose as Clive chills on her shoulder: This content is imported from poll. Korin Miller, Women's Health, 23 Mar. 2023 Having started out in Hong Kong action flicks in the '80s and '90s, Yeoh became known in US markets after playing a Bond girl in Tomorrow Never Dies and hit the awards radars as female warrior Yu Shu Lien in 2000's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Katherine Singh, refinery29.com, 23 Mar. 2023 Ergo, Peter must best the city’s fiercest warrior in single combat, fly and make a bereaved countess laugh for the first time since her brother died in battle. Michael Nordine, Variety, 15 Mar. 2023 That may be the case at this moment as warrior Mars in your sign squares Neptune in your ambitious 10th house. Tarot Astrologers, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2023 Besieged by barbarian raiders, his parents prayed to their gods for a miracle, and were gifted this unstoppable warrior for a son. Christian Holub, EW.com, 10 Mar. 2023 Yeoh joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the most graceful of styles, playing a mystical warrior who showed just how much of a dance martial-arts combat can really be. Dan Heching, CNN, 10 Mar. 2023 Hogan would have been one of the few Republican presidential candidates to pitch themselves as a centrist, technocratic alternative in a field increasingly shaped by Trump’s success as a bomb-throwing cultural warrior. Erin Cox, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2023 There were some, though, who wanted to maintain the Mandalorians' traditional warrior ways. Brendan Morrow, The Week, 28 Feb. 2023 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'warrior.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English werreour, from Anglo-French *werreier, guerreier, from warreier, guerreier to wage war, from werre war — more at war

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of warrior was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near warrior

Cite this Entry

“Warrior.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/warrior. Accessed 27 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

warrior

noun
war·​rior ˈwȯr-yər How to pronounce warrior (audio)
ˈwȯr-ē-ər,
ˈwär-ē-
: a person who is or has been in warfare

More from Merriam-Webster on warrior

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!


A Good Old-Fashioned Quiz

Spell It

Hear a word and type it out. How many can you get right?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can with using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

Can you make 12 words with 7 letters?

PLAY